Emma Gladstone is an entertainment journalist dedicated to offering a fresh perspective in today’s media landscape. As a content writer for The Hollywood Insider, her goal is to serve as a break from negativity by focusing on positive, human-centered angles that uplift and inspire. Writing reviews and feature stories for The Hollywood Insider, Emma celebrates the transformative and authentic power of reporting, to promote meaningful change and substance in media. Her passion for global entertainment fuels her writing, creating stories that educate, empower, and resonate deeply with readers. Emma is truly thrilled to be writing for The Hollywood Insider, as their values align closely with hers.
May 31, 2025
Table of Contents
The Hollywood Insider – ‘Another Simple Favor’
‘A Simple Favor’ Returns
But this time, with more wild twists, over-the-top fashion, and a duo that somehow keeps you hooked — even when the plot loses its footing.
Blake Lively doesn’t just re-enter the scene — she owns it. Dressed in a pinstriped ensemble that screams “runway meets prison yard,” her character Emily Nelson strolls back into Stephanie Smothers’ life like no time (or prison sentence) has passed. It’s the kind of entrance you expect from a sequel to ‘A Simple Favor’, which in 2018 defied genre expectations by mixing camp, couture, and cold-blooded crime.
Now, ‘Another Simple Favor’, which premiered at SXSW and started streaming on Prime Video May 1st, doubles down on the absurdity.
While the return of Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively promises the same chaos that made the first film a hit, the sequel doesn’t always land with the same sharpness. Still, it shows enough jaw-dropping turns and visual flair to keep you entertained.
But I do love a movie that actually surprises me at the end—where the puzzle pieces don’t fall into place right away. This sequel definitely delivers on the twists and turns to keep you guessing.
Seeing the star of ‘Pitch Perfect’ (and yes, ‘Twilight‘, if we’re going there) alongside the queen of ‘Gossip Girl‘ is always a fun surprise. You wouldn’t expect them to mesh, but somehow, they make quite the team.
This time around, there’s a sense of déjà vu — but with the volume turned up. Think ‘The White Lotus’ meets the energy of ‘Murder Mystery’, and you’re on the right wavelength.
Let’s get to the core of it: Blake Lively knows how to make an entrance. She returns as Emily Nelson, strutting into a bookstore in what can only be described as “couture ex-con” — a look that screams she’s been through hell (really jail in her case) and came out more fashionable.
The spiked heels and prison-stripe-inspired ensemble are an intentional nod to her past crimes, but also signal that this version of Emily is somehow even more unhinged than before.
Anna Kendrick’s Stephanie is holding a book reading for her tell-all about Emily when… you guessed it…. Emily shows up out of the blue.
Casually announcing she’s out of prison, planning a wedding in Italy, she wants Stephanie to be her maid of honor. And just like that, we’re back in the warped world of designer deception and frenemies.
The heart of the film is still the dynamic between Emily and Stephanie. On the surface, Stephanie is the sweet single mom who shouldn’t be caught dead associating with someone like Emily. But beneath her books and true crime podcasts, there’s a darkness that Emily brings out in her — and it’s actually pretty intriguing.
Their friendship isn’t just complicated; it’s weird. They feed off each other’s chaos. Stephanie can’t help but be drawn to Emily, even when everything in her gut screams run. And Emily? She needs Stephanie, too — the one person who gets her, even if she also once tried to kill her.
Their bond is strange… and kind of beautiful? One moment they’re exchanging insults; the next, they’re saving each other from literal death. (Yes, there’s a plot twist involving yet another twin whose supposed to have died at birth — Emily’s third sister, Charity — and a deranged relative who wants Stephanie gone for ruining some secret family scheme.)
The film moves to the stunning backdrop of Capri for Emily’s extravagant wedding to Dante Versano — a charming but dangerous mafioso (which by the way, was the perfect fit for an Italian mafioso after his debut in ‘365 Days’). The scenery is as mesmerizing as the dialogue, with characters lobbing savage one-liners like wedding toasts.
Emily’s mother (now played by Elizabeth Perkins) crashes the rehearsal dinner in full meltdown mode, and even Allison Janney shows up as a wild-card relative. The whole thing feels like ‘The Godfather’ — and it’s all great, until the murder plot kicks in and things spiral.
The first half of ‘Another Simple Favor’ works. It’s unpredictable, chic, and surprisingly sharp—exactly the kind of sequel fans were hoping for. It honestly felt like the film’s original.
But once the bodies start piling up and the FBI stumbles into the chaos, the film starts to break its own rules. Suddenly, Stephanie is accused of murder with barely a thread of logic holding it together, and the plot starts to feel overstuffed, chasing twists instead of building tension.
Tonally, it begins to feel too self-aware—less “twisted-fun” and more like it’s trying a little too hard to be “quirky-camp.” And this shift isn’t on director Paul Feig or the cast, who bring all the star power and charisma you’d expect.
But when the story lets go of any real emotional stakes, it’s hard not to feel a little deflated. Because when the film leans into its leads and their chaotic bond, it really does shine. It just needed to trust that more—and get out of its own way.
The original ‘A Simple Favor’ (2018) was lightning in a bottle — it didn’t cry out for a sequel. Yet ‘Another Simple Favor’ arrives with flash and flair, doubling down on the absurdity while shifting away from the tonal tightrope the first film walked so well.
Did it need to happen? Narratively — no. The original film ended, offering enough ambiguity to let its characters live on in our imagination.
But in the age of IP and streaming dominance, the return of Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick felt like an easy green light, especially with Amazon Prime Video behind it.
That said, ‘Another Simple Favor’ delivers as a fun, guilty pleasure.
So no, the sequel didn’t need to happen — but for those who enjoyed the original’s intoxicating blend of elegance and insanity, it’s a welcome encore.
It’s worth mentioning the sequel leaves the door wide open for another installment — but whether that happens is entirely up to Paul Feig and the team, both in front of and behind the camera.
Director: Paul Feig| Writers: Darcey Bell, Jessica Sharzer, Laeta Kalogridis
Costume Designer: Deborah L. Scott
Possible Foreshadowing for Future Cast Members:
Anna Kendrick has recently made her directorial debut, signaling a shift as she explores more behind-the-camera roles. While her film debut ‘Woman of the Hour’ hit Netflix in 2023, there’s plenty of excitement around her evolving career.
Meanwhile, multiple sources confirm that a sequel to ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ is in development, with hopes for filming to begin in 2025.
Additionally, a TV spin-off series centered on the ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ universe has been confirmed, though it appears most of the original film’s cast will not be returning.
By Emma Gladstone
Click here to read The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Cinema, TV and Media. An excerpt from the love letter: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “We have the space and time for all your stories, no matter who/what/where you are. Media/Cinema/TV have a responsibility to better the world and The Hollywood Insider will continue to do so. Talent, diversity and authenticity matter in Cinema/TV, media and storytelling. In fact, I reckon that we should announce “talent-diversity-authenticity-storytelling-Cinema-Oscars-Academy-Awards” as synonyms of each other. We show respect to talent and stories regardless of their skin color, race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, etc., thus allowing authenticity into this system just by something as simple as accepting and showing respect to the human species’ factual diversity. We become greater just by respecting and appreciating talent in all its shapes, sizes, and forms. Award winners, which includes nominees, must be chosen on the greatness of their talent ALONE.
I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc. Please keep this going full speed.”
Emma Gladstone is an entertainment journalist dedicated to offering a fresh perspective in today’s media landscape. As a content writer for The Hollywood Insider, her goal is to serve as a break from negativity by focusing on positive, human-centered angles that uplift and inspire. Writing reviews and feature stories for The Hollywood Insider, Emma celebrates the transformative and authentic power of reporting, to promote meaningful change and substance in media. Her passion for global entertainment fuels her writing, creating stories that educate, empower, and resonate deeply with readers. Emma is truly thrilled to be writing for The Hollywood Insider, as their values align closely with hers.
Emma Gladstone is an entertainment journalist dedicated to offering a fresh perspective in today’s media landscape. As a content writer for The Hollywood Insider, her goal is to serve as a break from negativity by focusing on positive, human-centered angles that uplift and inspire. Writing reviews and feature stories for The Hollywood Insider, Emma celebrates the transformative and authentic power of reporting, to promote meaningful change and substance in media. Her passion for global entertainment fuels her writing, creating stories that educate, empower, and resonate deeply with readers. Emma is truly thrilled to be writing for The Hollywood Insider, as their values align closely with hers.
Emma Gladstone is an entertainment journalist dedicated to offering a fresh perspective in today’s media landscape. As a content writer for The Hollywood Insider, her goal is to serve as a break from negativity by focusing on positive, human-centered angles that uplift and inspire. Writing reviews and feature stories for The Hollywood Insider, Emma celebrates the transformative and authentic power of reporting, to promote meaningful change and substance in media. Her passion for global entertainment fuels her writing, creating stories that educate, empower, and resonate deeply with readers. Emma is truly thrilled to be writing for The Hollywood Insider, as their values align closely with hers.
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